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Sudan

Sudan: Humanitarian Action in Darfur, weekly bulletin no. 20

Headlines

- Save the Children-USA has delivered 1,554 metric tons (MT) of food aid to beneficiaries in AbuZar, Krinding 1, Arara, Um Samgamti, Gimmeza Babiker, Krinding 2, Ardamata and Tandusa internally displaced persons (IDP) Camps.

- More than 358,000 patients were treated in the fourteen World Health Organization (WHO)-supported hospitals throughout North, South and East Darfur for the period January to October 2007.

Population movements

North Darfur

- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) completed the checking and data entry of pending cases for 813 households (4,008 individuals) in As Salaam IDP Camp in collaboration with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRC). IOM is also assisting SRC in the data entry of 331 new households in Zam Zam IDP Camp.

South Darfur

- IOM and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) jointly conducted a three-day training session on newly developed solar cookers from 11 to 13 December 2007. The training course was facilitated by an experienced national consultant for ten women living in Serif IDP Camp. The IDP camp is located in West Nyala and is currently home to an estimated 13,000 individuals. The ten women trained learnt how to use the solar cooker to prepare traditional Sudanese dishes. UNIDO provided raw cooking materials for use during the training. On 16 December IOM monitored the group of women and found that eight of the trained women were using the solar cooking for boiling water, cooking potatoes and eggs. The use of such stoves will reduce reliance upon firewood, the collection of which often creates physical risks for women when leaving the safety of the camp, and impacts negatively on the local environment.

Needs and response by sector

Education

North Darfur

- UNICEF has provided 45 education classroom kits, 17 student kits and 19 recreation kits - in addition to more than 200 assorted textbooks - to Haskanita benefiting 1,250 IDP children. In Dar el Salam 144 classroom kits, 185 student kits and more than 2,800 assorted textbooks were distributed to schools benefiting 8,445 children, half of them girls.

South Darfur

- UNICEF supported school children in Kalma IDP Camp to plant 100 seedlings in each of eight schools in the camp.

Food Security and Livelihoods

West Darfur

- In the last two weeks, Save the Children-USA has delivered 1,554 metric tons (MT) of food aid to beneficiaries in AbuZar, Krinding 1, Arara, Um Samgamti, Gimmeza Babiker, Krinding 2, Ardamata and Tandusa IDP Camps.

Health and Nutrition

- More than 358,000 patients were treated in the 14 WHO-supported hospitals throughout North, South and East Darfur for the period January to October 2007. Of these, more than 146,000 were IDPs referred by partner agencies - from primary health care facilities or from IDP camps - and who were given free medical or surgical treatment in the hospitals including consultation and hospital monitoring, drugs and supplies, laboratory or diagnostic procedures, and accommodation.

North Darfur

- A UNICEF supported training course trained 350 vaccinators in North Darfur on the introduction and use of the pentavalent vaccine (five vaccines in one injection).

- Thirty four medical assistants working in 19 primary healthcare facilities in El Fasher, Kutum and Um Kadada localities underwent a five-day training on health information management system. Facilitated by the WHO and the SMoH, the course was designed to equip the participants with basic and modern tools on health management and skills to improve the performances. At the end of the course the participants received assorted documents on primary health care protocols and guidelines.

- With the support of the State Ministry of Health (SMoH), WHO continues its efforts to improve access to quality primary healthcare services in Um Kadada. WHO and SMoH transferred assorted materials for rehabilitating Um Heglieg health facility. This follows the completion of Um Kadoya health facility.

- The SMoH is supported by WHO in the monitoring and supervision of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) implementing facilities. This week, four clinics in Kabkabiya locality were visited and eight IMCI-kits were distributed in El Fasher and Kabkabiya localities.

South Darfur

- The SMoH - with UNICEF support - conducted training for health visitors from 12 local communities focusing on supportive supervision, follow-up and early referral of reproductive health cases. UNICEF also supported training on standard case management to 15 medical assistants from five health facilities in South Darfur, as part of the development of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses.

- As part of meningitis preparedness plan, WHO distributed copies of meningitis case management protocol to agencies working in the health sector. Training/workshops are now being prepared for the health staff in health centre camps on meningitis case definition, surveillance and management.

- The vector control campaign is in El Daein targeting Al Neem IDP Camp. This activity has been carried out by WHO in collaboration with the SMoH.

West Darfur

- UNICEF provided 400 blood testing kits to the NGO MEDAIR, which will be used in 11 primary healthcare centres.

- To assist partners in treating malnutrition amongst children, UNICEF provided 350 cartons of nutritional paste to the NGO Concern for 17 feeding centres in El Geneina, Kulbus, Um Shalaya and Selea, in addition to 250 cartons to Tear Fund for Beida locality and 150 cartons to Save the Children-US for programmes in El Geneina and Forbaranga.

- With UNICEF support, the SMoH has completed the training of 40 staff on quality control of iodized salt.

Non-Food Items (NFIs)

North Darfur

- Major efforts have been undertaken to improve household hygiene practices with UNICEF supporting OXFAM to distributed more than 138,000 bars of soap to residents of Abu Shouk IDP Camp, and more than 118,710 bars in As Salaam IDP Camp. Meanwhile in Kassab, the State Water Corporation (SWC) backed by UNICEF and other partners conducted hygiene promotion activities and garbage collection and disposal campaigns with 2,815 households visited by the hygiene promotion teams. UNICEF also supported the NGO GOAL to distribute more than 118,000 bars of soap in Kassab, and more than 22,000 bards in Fata Barno. In Zam Zam IDP Camp, UNICEF and the SWC provided nearly 125,000 bars of soap.

Protection and Human Rights

South Darfur

- With UNICEF guidance 25 children associated with armed forces in Jebel Marra have been demobilized by the community and enrolled in a local school.

Water and Sanitation

North Darfur

- In Zam Zam IDP Camp 2,000 residents will have improved access to water following the drilling of four new boreholes and the installation of hand pumps by the SWC with the support of UNICEF. The SWC also assisted camp residents to chlorinate water supplies in one water storage tank and to repair three other hand pumps in the camp.

South Darfur

- To improve access to safe human excreta disposal for residents 247 new household latrines were constructed with UNICEF support in Al Salam, Otash, Se Kale, Khor Omar and Al Need IDP Camps.

West Darfur

UNICEF supported the SWC to drill and install nine new boreholes and hand pumps in Habila and Um Khiar, bringing clean water to 2,250 nomadic resident

If you have inputs for the next edition or questions and comments on this one, or other media and public enquiries, please contact:

Nahla Zarroug, Information Analyst, United Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email: zarroug@un.org, Telephone: +249-9-12160065

For other media and public enquiries, you may also contact:

Orla Clinton, Public Information Officer, United Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email: clinton@un.org, Telephone: +249-9-12174454

Imad Hassanein, Media Officer, United Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email: hassaneini@un.org, Telephone: +249-9-12178035

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